The Draw

So - No Seed for the US...

And yet - Argentina gets a seed?

I am not getting that one at all...

So we are in the weakest pot - so I dont see there being any way we avoid another group of death, unless we are drawn into the host nations group.

 

You expected us to be seeded??? You okay, Jens?

USA placed in weakest pot
by Paul Kennedy, Wednesday, Dec 2, 2009 7:00 AM ET
[WORLD CUP 2010 DRAW] As expected, the FIFA Organizing Committee chose to use geography to place the 24 unseeded teams in three pots for Friday's World Cup Draw in Cape Town, South Africa. That means the USA and Concacaf rivals Mexico and Honduras were placed in the weakest pot -- Pot 2 -- with the four Asian finalists and Oceania champion New Zealand.

The seeding was based on the October 2009 FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. (The Netherlands edged France for the eighth seed.)

Draw rules: No two teams from the same confederation will be drawn in the same group (except European teams, where a maximum of two will be in a group). For example, South Africa cannot play the African teams from Pot 3, and Argentina and Brazil cannot be drawn against the three remaining South American teams.

Pot 1 (seeds):
South Africa (A1)
Germany
Brazil
Italy
Spain
England
Argentina
Netherlands

Pot 2 (Asia, Oceania and CONCACAF):
Japan
South Korea
North Korea
Australia
New Zealand
USA
Mexico
Honduras

Pot 3 (Africa and South America):
Ivory Coast
Ghana
Cameroon
Nigeria
Algeria
Paraguay
Chile
Uruguay

Pot 4 (Europe):
France
Portugal
Slovenia
Switzerland
Greece
Serbia
Denmark
Slovakia

 

Please let us be in South Africa's group. Then my preference, Uruguay and Slovenia.

I do not give a DAMN about great matches in the group stage, I just want us to get to the next round (and perhaps use the group stage for some tune-ups)!

 

Got a bad feeling about the group we're going to be stuck in.

 

No - It isnt that I expected us to be seeded... It is simply that I dont get the whole process, and I suppose that I am under the illusion that it might make some sense or be something that resembles fair.

I do not understand how Argentina is - based on their qualification run, or how France was very close to getting a seed based on their qualification.

Fifa world rankings - total cluster.

 

They also use last two World Cup results, I believe.

 

Just as the sun rises in the east, the U.S. is most assuredly going to be placed in a difficult group. However, this time, we shall overcome.

Query: what does FIFA love more than anything? Money. Thus, it completely baffles me as to why, the wealthiest nation in the world, is treated like soccer's bastard-child by the international governing body. U.S. doing well = more U.S. viewers/sponsors = more $$$$ to FIFA.

I'm not suggesting the U.S. be given favors (eh, Frenchies?), but the continued appearance of bias against U.S. soccer (refs, seeding, draws) makes no business sense to me. Unless FIFA loves knee-capping U.S. soccer more than money...

 

Re: RE: The Draw

I'm sure FIFA, which is mostly run by Europeans and South Americans, holds no grudges (historical or otherwise) whatsoever against the United States that may cloud their business judgment.

Some things you just can't put a price tag on.

 

Someone said that the largest TV audience is the US, the country with the largest # of ticket requests is the US...

I cant remember where I read or heard this, but I wouldnt doubt it... And you would think Nevzter that would = the USA getting some preferential treatment...

I would add Power to the money, and I wonder if the FIFA slime are worried that allowing the US to gain more influence will lead to a loss of their own... They have a pretty sweet gig - dont want big brother breaking up the party.

 

I'm hoping for the toughest group in the history of the world cup. Spain,France and Ivory Coast. The entire footballing world would be focused on the US if they escaped that kinda group. No more shitty groups, bring on only the toughest teams!

 

I agree on Ivory Coast, but I'm thinking Brazil Portugal might be a tougher set of picks.

 

Guesses on who we get?

Winner gets a FUSA Shirt signed by Mike & Tom??

Just a thought.

My picks:
Germany
Ivory Coast
Portugal

Yep USMNT, thanks for playin'!

 

England
Chile
Greece

 

How about:
SA
USA
Uruguay
Slovakia

I am holding onto hope to draw SA - here is my real prediction:
SA
USA
Nigeria
France

 

I'm not sure why you all are in such a hurry to get seeded with South Africa - don't forget that the host nation has never failed to advance out of its group into the knockout stages, even hosts that were (at least perceived to be) weak like South Korea and Japan in 2002, the USA in 1994, or (based on my own conjecture) Chile in 1962 or Switzerland in 1954, both of which advanced at Italy's expense. Heck, Korea even made it to the semifinal. Crowd advantage and home field refereeing are powerful forces and personally I want no part of them. It's been seven freaking years and I still can't get the Korean fans' chant out of my head.

Edit to add: I guess out of the people who've posted to this thread, it's only Jensers who's said anything about wanting to get SA, but it's a sentiment I've seen echoed elsewhere.

 

Apparently Eeyore is back.

I can tell you this, we will not get Argentina or France in our group. We might prevent them from getting through.

After the ping pong balls are warmed up so the picker knows which one to pick, this will be our group

Netherlands
Ivory Coast
Portugal
USA

 

:cry:

Too true, too true...but, I think the U.S. could've found a way to replace Gooch - however, the U.S. doesn't have the depth to replace Davies. Anybody with doubts, watch the counter that produced Donovan's goal against Brasil in the Confed Cup and ask yourself if anybody else could step into the role Davies provided in that attack.

 

Findley, but then he would have pushed it too far in front of him, for an easy grab by the keeper, and killed it off.

 

Jensers. Nigeria can't get drawn in South Africa's group; that group is guaranteed to have a South American team and will be one of three groups guaranteed to have both an African team and a South American team. (it's probably another reason that both regions are in the same pot - you then only have to worry about region-match in the one pot).

Worst group IMO:
England
USA
Ivory Coast
Portugal

Get out of that group and you're almost guaranteed a semi-finals berth, on reputation alone.

jmh. We've familiar with beating South Africa in South Africa, so yeah, USA would like to be in their pot. (both Confed Cup, watching them, being there and our friendly).